This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for selectively deflecting articles, advanced on a supply conveyor, onto one of two conveyor belts.
In packaging systems, particularly for confectionary products such as chocolate bars or the like, it is known--as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,820--to arrange, for example, three packaging machines in series and to detour, by means of deflectors, the articles to be packaged from a longitudinal conveyor track onto transversely extending conveyor tracks. The delivery end of the deflector described in the noted patent is lowered 15.degree. out of the horizontal conveyor track and then withdrawn horizontally, whereby the downwardly advanced articles drop onto a lower transverse conveyor track. In order to ensure that the articles end up on the transverse conveyor track, an abutment plate is provided at which the articles may accumulate during their downward movement. Such an arrangement can find practical use only downstream of an article separating (single file forming) station because otherwise the articles arriving at random would crowd at the delivery end of the deflector during the withdrawal thereof. Further, this arrangement is not adapted for transferring articles to an accumulator belt (on which, in case of a breakdown of one machine, as many articles as possible should be accumulated along the shortest possible path) because of the unavoidable cadenced operation.